A record 88,792 students seek admission to UCI in fall 2015

by Cathy Lawhon |
January 12, 2015

Students walk through Aldrich Park on their way to class on the first day of winter quarter.
Chris Nugent / UC Irvine

Irvine, Calif., Jan. 12, 2015 – UC Irvine experienced a 7.7 percent rise in applications this year, with a record 88,792 students vying for admission in fall 2015. The growth outpaced the systemwide increase by nearly 2 percentage points. UCI also saw impressive gains in Chicano/Latino and African American freshman applicants. And the campus had 68,740 combined freshman and transfer applications from California residents, the second-largest number of in-state applications in the University of California system.

“UCI opened with 1,589 students in October 1965,” said Chancellor Howard Gillman. “In 50 years we’ve grown into a preeminent research university with global reach and a place where diverse and high-quality undergraduate students know they can do serious and important work, receive academic and extracurricular experiences worthy of their talent and promise, and achieve at the highest level. This year’s applications numbers demonstrate that the UCI story is attracting the attention of increasing numbers of exceptional students seeking a world-class education.”

The freshman applications data show:

A total of 55,039 California residents applied, the second-largest number in the UC system.

At 18,474, UCI garnered the biggest cohort of Chicano/Latino California-resident applicants in the UC system.

The campus’s 7.1 percent growth in African American California-resident applicants outpaced the growth of the total state resident pool by 1.7 percentage points.

With 71,770, UCI had the fourth-highest number of freshman applicants in the UC system.

A total of 13,701 California residents applied, the second-highest number in the UC system.

With 17,022, UCI had the third-largest number of transfer applicants in the UC system.

Applicants’ GPA mean increased slightly to 3.3.

UCI also continues to be a draw for first-generation college students, who made up 42 percent of applicants, and for low-income students, who made up 32 percent of applicants.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. Located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities, it’s Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $4.8 billion annually to the local economy.

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